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Hometown

Montreal, Quebec

Joie de VIVre

Spending time with my family, traveling, designing jewelry, reading, laughing

VIV Moment

My VIV Moment occurs repeatedly. It happens each time I walk into Ice.com headquarters and see my family and our employees hard at work. My immeasurable joy, seen in my hearty smile, comes from the knowledge that my family supported my idea from the get-go, and continues to be as passionate about it as I am. My idea was to create a website “a mother could love” with a warm and friendly environment akin to your neighborhood jeweler. Today Ice.com is the internet’s primary fashion jewelry website and it would not have been possible without my persistence and my family’s continuous support. What started off as my personal journey developed into my family’s chosen path and livelihood.

My story begins ater my birth in the Carpathian Alps of Hungary during World War II. I was hidden as an infant as the Holocaust swept Europe. At the end of the war, I was taken to Canada where I was raised, married and had six children, and in 1971 entered the jewelry business. My determination to forge a new career was uncommon at the time, and I was shunned by local businessmen as I attempted to learn about the industry. With a strong interest in the pearl market, I took matters into my own hands and went directly to the source.

Armed only with a guide from the Japan Pearl Exporters’ Association, I traveled to Japan and immersed myself in learning about pearls and visiting wholesalers in an attempt to forge relationships. Later, I expanded my expertise in the pearl industry by studying at the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). Since then, clients from around the world have commissioned me to design and craft unique pieces of jewelry. My jewelry design skills have also been tapped by Mattel to create a line of jewelry for the toy maker’s legendary Barbie collection, which received the prestigious Innovation Award for design.

In 1999, my family launched Ice.com, which has become a leading jeweler on the web committed to providing customers with the best value, quality, service and selection to consumers who enjoy jewelry as both a fashion essential and a fun part of their everyday lives. I couldn’t be more content to know that my vision has thrived into a flourishing business and will be a legacy for my family. Each one of my children plays a pivotal role in the running of Ice.com and my 42 grandchildren (and counting!) know that if they choose, they can work for our homegrown business.

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